by JF Holland
“What?” Balin croaked, all his blood presently heading south and leaving him hard as titanium and unable to think.
“I feel unclean as you smell of another woman. Enjoy your wank,” Lana purred, pushing herself up and off him. She then sauntered to the door and opened it, raising a sardonic brow as Sam nearly fell through. She watched him cough to cover his laugh as he stared with amusement at Balin sprawled on the bed. “Can you help the pussy cat pack?” Lana asked Sam. “I’ll be in the kitchen - I need a drink as I have this damn awful sour taste in my mouth.” Stepping outside of the room, she then flung over her shoulder. “I’ll give you ten minutes to get him out of here. Oh, and Balin, you need to do a lot better than that. You are sadly mistaken if you think all it takes to get my panties off is flexing your muscles and throwing me a couple of lines - especially as I watched you let that nymph crawl all over you. I’m telling you now, if you pursue this, bring a life jacket because it’s going to be a bumpy rough.”
With that, she made her way downstairs.
“Damn, you got served. I like her,” Sam said as he made his way into Balin’s room, shaking his head.
Balin growled low in his throat, eyes squeezed tightly shut as he slammed his head back against the mattress and ground his jaw.
“Bollocks.”
“I’d say she has you by yours,” Sam said with a laugh as he dropped down on the bed by Balin. “Now tell me son, why did you think you could play with her? Have you learned nothing from watching me and Jaden with these women.”
“What are you talking about?” Balin asked in confusion.
“You do know they are from Russian stock, right?”
Balin rubbed his eyes, then pushed himself into a sitting position. “What are you talking about?” he asked Sam. He couldn’t follow what he was saying as his brain was still fuzzy from loss of blood. He tried to push upright, but froze, biting back a pained groan at the discomfort in his groin as he was still hard as steel.
“The women, they are from Russian stock. That’s where their attitude comes from,” Sam explained. “They may try to be nice and sweet, and trust me, they have their moments. But, please, believe me when I say this. If you continue on his path Lana will run rings around you.”
“Back up, I’m still stuck on the Russian bit. They have British accents,” Balin stated, confused.
“Yes, but they are from Russian families. Helena and Llayhria are not from Britain, they were born in Moscow.
“Llayhria?”
“Lara’s proper name is Llayhria, their names were anglicised when they came to Britain. Helena’s name didn’t need it, as it’s pretty English sounding already. Lara named Lana, Ilyanna after her mother, whom she lost when she was too young to remember. The same way that Helena named Maya after Ilyanna’s sister, Maya, her mother. After Maya senior, fled Russia with the girls when they were babies, she brought them both up together. So, they are more sisters than cousins. She brought them here after one of the husbands got into trouble with the Russian Mafia over gambling debts. He thought he could pull one over them and bail on his debts. Unfortunately, he was found and the family paid for his duplicity. They were killed, gangland style, decapitated and their body parts scattered. No coming back from that - not even for immortals.” Balin’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, and he frowned.
“Shit.”
“Yes, you have one tough cookie for a mate. Now say thank you for clearing that up for you and pack a bag, the clock is ticking. Your mate is slightly pissed off with you - do not hang around and give her another reason to come back and hand you your balls.”
With that Sam got up off the bed and made his way to the door. “Tick, tock, get a move on,” he said as he made his way down the stairs.
Grumbling, Balin went to the wardrobe and dragged out a sports bag from the back. He pulled his shirts and jumpers off the hangers and folded them quickly, tucking them inside the bag. Then he went to the drawers to put some sweats and jeans in, and lastly boxer short and socks. He threw in a pair of shoes and a pair of trainers on the top then nipped into the bathroom for his shaving kit and toothbrush.
Downstairs he could hear talking in the kitchen. They were all sat around the table drinking coffee and laughing – but complete silence met his entrance. Not a word was uttered in his presence, Lara and Lana didn’t even look his way. He slung his bag over his shoulder as he grabbed a jacket from the back of the chair Lana was sitting on.
“Well, I’ll catch you later.”
“Balin, can you let Jaden know that Luc and Leonard will be here tomorrow at Sundown,” Sam told him.
“About?”
“We still have… a problem,” Sam said, head nodding in Lana and Lara’s direction.
“You can say it you know,” Lara told Sam. “If you have a problem with my… mate… then I need to help you,” Lara said with a shiver. Lana covered her mother’s right hand on the table top and Helena covered her left.
“Okay, I’ll get Lana and Lara up to speed with exactly what’s been going on. Meet us here at sun up, hopefully we’ll be able to work out a plan of some kind.”
“Fine, I’ll be next door if you need me,” Balin said, looking towards Lana but Lara hissed at him. He watched Sam turn his head and Lara frowned.
“Mother,” she admonished.
“He’s a cat, what do you want from me?”
“He’s not my father, and neither is Sam or Jaden. We have to try to separate them mum not tar them with the same brush.”
“Maya is also a cat now Lara,” Helena spoke up. “Maybe something more too,” she said and Balin looked to her, but she just shook her head.
“Goodnight everyone, sleep well,” Balin said, heading out of the door and snapping it shut behind him.
Chapter Four
T he lights were off next door as he let himself in, resetting the alarm system. He could hear laughing coming from upstairs and dropping his coat over the back of one of the kitchen chairs he headed for the stairs. He made his way to the spare room and dropped his bag on the bed, groaning as he heard more laughter and murmuring from the next bedroom. Blowing out a breath, he left the spare room and knocked on Jaden’s bedroom door. He could hear Maya squeak and then shuffling and mumbling going on behind the closed door. Eventually, Jaden shouted out, and Balin turned the handle, pushing their door open. Maya and Jaden were in bed - Maya looking a little flushed and Jaden looking a little pissed off. He must have interrupted happy hour, wonderful. He mentally recoiled, so not needing that visual in his head.
"Sorry to interrupt, but can I take the spare room?" he asked, as he stood sheepishly in their bedroom doorway. Jaden pushed himself up in bed, checking to make sure Maya was covered.
"Why do you need the spare room? What about your room in the house next door?"
"Yeah, well, it seems my mate is pissed off with me. She has decided that she's not staying in the same house with me and as Lara took her side, I decided to take the tactical route and move in here for a while. If that's okay with you two of course?" he added, looking hopefully towards them.
"Yeah, go for it, but no leaving the toilet seat up, Maya doesn't like it," Jaden said.
"Okay, great, ermm…. As you were," Balin shuddered as he pulled the door behind him, so not wanting to think about what they would be continuing with. He took a couple of steps towards the bedroom to collect his stuff for a shower when he remembered the meeting. Walking back, he rapped on their bedroom door again, then leaned against the doorframe while he heard more mumbling and grumbling going on in their room.
Suddenly the door was yanked opened, and he would have fallen on his face if Jaden hadn’t grabbed his arm to keep him upright.
"Speak," Jaden grunted and Balin looked down before yanking his gaze upwards – stepping back with a shudder. His brother was totally naked, and looking really fucking happy to see him. For fuck sake, he did not need to see little Jaden saluting for Christ sake.
"Man, cover your junk
, please. I just wanted to let you know that Luc and Leonard will be here at sundown. It seems another meeting is in order. I thought I'd tell you both while I remembered." Balin added, turning to move off. Escape and a shower uppermost in his mind, maybe eye bleach would work, he needed to erase what he’d just seen.
"You got me out of bed at midnight, to tell me we have a meeting at sundown tomorrow. Not sun up, but sundown, am I correct?" Jaden asked, and Balin just nodded as his brother growled. All he could think about was a shower and sleep. Well, what he’d really like was to climb into bed with Lana - or the shower. Either would do, he wasn’t fussy. Jaden again interrupted his thoughts.
"Fine, do not disturb me again, I'll catch you in the morning," and with that he slammed the door on him.
Balin grinned at Jaden’s cranky tone. Man, he was obviously not one to disturb when he was doing the bump and grind.
Grabbing his shaving kit and toothbrush out of his bag, Balin made his way to the bathroom. Turning the water in the shower to as hot as he could stand he stepped inside. Funnily enough seeing his brother naked had killed any notion of needing a little light hand relief, his hard-on dying on seeing his brother’s nakedness. As he washed his hair he began to think of Lana, and how he was going to win her around. Well, obviously, it would have been better if he hadn’t let the nymph paw him, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He needed a plan to win Lana over - maybe a date would work. Flowers and a date would be even better, now that could work.
Once he had a plan of his next move he felt a little happier and began to whistle a daft punk tune as he rinsed his hair. Tomorrow as they say is a new day, maybe Lana would be more reasonable then. Sleep worked wonders for people’s temperaments. Plus, she had her mother back so surely that should cheer her? Her mother and Maya, all back together, he grinned at the thought of Sam being trapped in a house with the three women. Dude, was going to go grey, which would be a novelty for an immortal. The thought cheered him somewhat as he soaped then rinsed his body before switching off the shower. Quickly, he towelled himself off, then wrapped one around his waist. Collected his shaving kit; after putting his shower gel back into it, he made his way back across the landing.
He could hear moaning coming from Jaden and Maya’s room and scowled at the door as he went into his own room. He fervently hoped they weren’t planning a late night of it. He did not want to have to lie there and listen to them reaching their happy place. Quickly, he put his clothing away then stored his bag in the bottom of the wardrobe. Pulling on a pair of pyjama bottoms, he sat on the bed and picked his mobile phone up off the bedside table. He made a note to buy ear plugs along with flowers tomorrow. Then switching his phone to silent put it on charge before lying down. Covering himself with the duvet, he heard Jaden groan and shoved a pillow over his head. Squeezing his eyes closed, he prayed for sleep and oblivion to take him.
Chapter Five
B alin watched Lana over his cup, her head close to her mothers – who kept turning to him and glaring. He felt like a sample under a microscope, a very unpleasant sample if her look of disgust was anything to go by.
Sighing he took another sip of his coffee and tried to ignore her venomous gaze as the chatter around the tables continued. More immortals had decided to come to the meeting so they’d all headed to the café instead of the house.
Daniel Adams, and James Farley were sat with Agatha and Douglas, the wolves seemed to gravitate to each other, the same way the cats did. Nicholas Raymond and Edgar Linley; who were leopards had also chosen to sit with John Forrester and Edwin Murdoch the white tigers. Luc Beauregard the gargoyle hadn’t arrived yet, but as the sun still hadn’t set he’d be a little indisposed for a while. As for Leonard Smyth; the vampire, he was in the corner - which was his usual choice when in a room with other people.
Turning his head, he observed Lana out of the corner of his eye. She was dressed casually in a pair of figure hugging black leggings, well he thought that’s what they called them - although they looked more like tights to him. She wore a baggy cream jumper, the sleeves rolled up above her elbows and her blonde hair was off her face in a high ponytail. She made a striking picture sitting there at the table; seemingly relaxed, but she’d blocked him out of her head again – complete lockdown. All he was getting from her was static silence.
“Did you hear what I just said?”
“Balin… Balin… earth to bro… come on Balin, tune in you’re being spoken to,” Jaden said from his seat beside Maya at the far side of their table.
“Sorry, miles away. Okay, I’m listening.”
“As I was saying,” Sam scolded, turning his dad frown on him. “We need to set up some kind of rota, a list of who’ll be patrolling at any given time. Nathan and Adam Lincoln, the grizzly twins are out there now, checking on everyone, and pushing leaflets through doors. No one is safe just now, so no one is allowed out alone – which means the woods are out of bounds for the foreseeable future, so no running.”
Murmurs of agreement came from around the room.
“How are we going to set up a rota, not everyone is present?” Leonard spoke up from his corner, his usual dry humour and sarcasm not in evidence - not surprising really, given the topic of conversation.
“I’ve set up a spreadsheet, each one of us needs to fill in our whereabouts on the calendar. That’s what the twins are pushing through doors. It’s a downloadable document, so can be filled in and uploaded again so we can keep track. We’re going to have to take work and home life into account for some of us,” Sam said and Helena frowned.
“Is working going to be safe for everyone – well, at the moment anyway?”
“Some of us have no choice, I for one have bills to pay,” said Lana and Balin looked up.
“Are you talking about the club?”
“Yes.”
“You can’t be serious?” he asked her incredulously.
“I assure you that I am. I need that job, and I also need to rehearse.”
“It’s not safe there.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Karma is owned and run by a dragon shifter. It would take someone with immense power to take on a dragon. I mean, entering the club with nefarious intentions would be tantamount to committing suicide. Come on, they spit fire.”
“Fine, if you want to work I’ll tag along to keep you safe.”
“Maybe that’s not such a good idea,” spoke up Jaden.
“I’m an adult, I can control myself,” Balin murmured and shrugged at Jaden’s look of scepticism.
“I will control my cat. If Lana’s job is important to her and she needs to rehearse I’ll accompany her.”
“I don’t want you around my daughter,” spat Lara.
“Lara, please, you need to learn to get along with everyone.”
“No I don’t Helena, and I can’t believe you are okay with these cats. I mean, hello, were you not killed by one.”
Balin heard gasps and murmurs of disapproval from the table to their left where the leopards and tigers sat.
“Yes I was, as were you, but we are back and stronger.”
“I don’t care, I don’t have to like it and you can’t make me.”
“No I can’t, but I’m asking you to be civil. These men…” her words cut off by Lara’s snort of disbelief. “These men put their life on the line to keep Maya and Jaden safe. So please, try to show a little respect – especially when they are once again doing so,” Helena hissed angrily.
“Fine, but he stays away from my daughter,” Lara pointed to Balin with a scowl.
“Lara,” Helena sighed. “Lana is an adult now and I think it should be her decision as to whom she spends time with.”
“She is still my daughter and I will not allow a shifter near her.”
“Balin would not hurt her.”
“How long have you known him?”
“Well, not long… but he is a good man.” More murmurs could be heard around the room; for which he was grateful - but he knew it
wasn’t going to help his cause. Lana and Lara were prejudiced where his kind was concerned and only time would ease that.
“There’s that word again,” Lara hissed in annoyance. “He is not a man he is a shifter – and as you have not known him long, how can you determine his intentions towards my daughter. I am within my rights to stand by my decision until he can otherwise prove me wrong.”
“Lara be reasonable…”
Balin spoke into the silence, not wanting the cousins to fall out over him, although he appreciated Helena’s allegiance to them.
“It’s fine Helena, honest. I can’t say I blame Lara. As she says, you haven’t known me that long,” he shrugged. “I am prepared to wait and give both Lana and her mother time to get to know me.”
“How magnanimous of you,” Lara sneered.
“Couldn’t Lana work here?” Jaden asked Sam to more murmurs of approval from around the room.
“I already have a job. I’m a dancer who already works full-time. I will not let down my employer and ruin my reputation when I am perfectly safe on the premises.” The murmurs grew in the negative and while Balin knew the men were trying to be helpful and showing concern, it wasn’t going to do him any good in this case. He knew they were just thinking of Lana’s safety and his comfort as her mate – but he’d have to pull up his big boy pants - suck it up and deal with it if he wanted to prove himself.